Our Blog

Brister Mills Lofts Readies for Tenants

Three years ago, Positively Auburn featured a story on C.W. Brister Mills, then in its infancy renovation phase. Now the first phase of property improvements on this historic 17,000 sq. ft. building are close to being completed, and the Kyle family is actively seeking seven loft tenants for this unique residential complex. The second phase of the project will add 4 – 5 more spaces, making a total of 11-12 lofts.

Snapshot History

C.W. Brister & Sons was founded in 1900 as a flour mill and remained active through 1982 when it was purchased by Birkett Mills in Penn Yann. The mill is located at 201 North Street along the railroad tracks on the north end of Auburn, near the intersection of Standart Avenue. Abandoned and left to decay, KyleCroft Development bought the building in 2007 with the vision of converting it back to its former glory, yet as a loft apartment complex.

Style & Amenities

The property consists of seven custom-built apartments ranging in size from 900 – 1600 sq. ft. KyleCroft restored the building while maintaining the industrial character of the structure and adding a modern architectural design. Details such as exposed electrical conduit and caged lighting were original to the site, and were maintained as an industrial-style design element. Silver metal flashing was used to frame the expansive windows. The open floor plan ensures no space is lost to hallways and connecting corridors.

There are three two-bedroom apartments, and four authentic New York City style lofts. Each apartment is equipped with stainless steel appliances, butcher-block counter/bar and A/C. Each space has their own personal 9 ‘x 12’ deck off the back for entertaining, and walk-in closets for spacious storage. Exposed brick walls, high ceilings, poured concrete radiant heated floors, thick wood beams and outdoor decks make the perfect backdrop for chic city living. The developer has maintained the maximum amount of green space surrounding the property, to allow for a park-like setting for the residents. The property’s back view showcases Auburn’s industrial past, with the renowned International Harvester complex and Finger Lakes Railway as the backdrop.

Keepin’ it Green

A major portion of the complex’s redevelopment supplies were utilized from reclaimed materials from deconstructed factories in Brooklyn, vintage doors from Cornell University, and local lumber from Mennonite and Amish saw mills. KyleCroft Development is a family business dedicated to the revitalization of local brownfield properties and derelict buildings. The family and a few close friends did nearly all of the renovation work on this project, with no financial assistance from grants.

Serving Young Professionals

The target demographic for Brister Mills tenants is young professionals. Grant Kyle, Project Manager, is in his mid-20s, and sees a gap in adequate housing options for this age bracket. The Kyles hosted an exclusive open house event for IGNITE, Cayuga County’s young professionals group in mid-April that was attended by 75+ people. To view the project renderings and floor plans visit http://www.bristermills.com/.

If anyone is interested in learning more, please contact Grant Kyle at KyleCroft Development. He can be reached by phone at 315.604-1608 or by e-mail grantkyle.kylecroft@gmail.com.

The Cayuga County Office of Tourism is open from 9:00am – 5:00pm Monday through Friday.

February 8th – May 5th – “Stepping Out: Dancing in Cayuga County”. Cayuga Museum of History & Art, 203 Genesee St., Auburn. The exhibit explores social, folk and the fine art of dance as well as showcases our local dance schools and studios. www.cayuganet.org/cayugamuseum 315-253-8051

March 31st – May 20th – Made in NY 2012 – Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, 205 Genesee St., Auburn. Made in NY 2012, is an annual juried exhibition featuring New York State artists. The exhibition features 75 works of art by 73 artists from throughout New York State. Made in NY 2012 features paintings, photographs, sculpture, drawings, and more. Members free, non- members $6. www.myartcenter.org 315-255-1553

March 29th – Lady’s Night at the CREATION STATION – Creation Station, 10 Seminary Ave., Auburn. No artistic abilities necessary. Just come and have fun. Cost includes your choice of bowl (2 large sizes to pick from) or a platter, all supplies, and light refreshments. RSVP. 7-9 pm www.tropicalartsandcrafts.com/ 406-3270

March 29th – The Healing Muse – Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St., Auburn. Writers from the latest issue of The Healing Muse will be reading selections of their work. The Healing Muse is Upstate Medical University’s literary journal and contains poetry, stories, essays and art forms that focus on illness, medicine, and the body. Eight writers from the current issue and three from past issues will be reading selections of their work in a free, public reading. 6:30pm, free. www.auburnpublictheater.org 315-253-6669

March 30th & 31st- “Nuremberg: Its Lesson For Today” – Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St., Auburn. One of the greatest courtroom dramas in history, Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today shows how the international prosecutors built their case against the top Nazi war criminals using the Nazis’ own films and records. Tickets $5/online, $6/at the door. 3/30, 1 & 8pm, 3/31, 8pm. www.auburnpublictheater.org 315-253-6669

March 30th – Harriet Tubman – The Movie – Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St., Auburn. Seneca Cayuga ARC is proud to announce that `FAME Center for Creative Expression’ will be hosting a premiere for their third movie, entitled, “Tubman’s Reward”. This modern-day detective story centers on the discovery of gold on the former Harriet Tubman homestead, as well as its sudden disappearance. During the hunt for the lost treasure, local detectives visit some of Auburn’s most historic sites and unveil many little-known facts. 7pm. www.auburnpublictheater.org 315-253-6669

March 31st – Egg Dying – Sterling Nature Center, 15380 Jenzvolt Rd., Sterling.See what colors you can get from your pantry just in time for the spring table. Go back to nature with this fun and entertaining program using natural dyes to color your eggs. Please bring your own hard-boiled eggs to dye. An adult should accompany children. 1pm. www.cayuganet.org/sterlingpark/center/events.html 315-947-6143.

April 3rd – Food & Wine Pairing – Aurora inn, 391 Main St., Aurora. 6-8:30pm, Each of five light courses served over the course of the evening will be accompanied by two different wine pairings. The selection will feature two white wine selections and three red, as well as several fortified wines. Although participants will enjoy both food and wine over the course of the class, the meal will be prepared beforehand, without an actual cooking component.The pairing menu will feature dishes prepared by the Aurora Inn’s culinary team, and will include a variety of dishes, from Shrimp and Mango Spring Rolls to Braised Short Ribs – and of course, dessert.$115/person. www.innsofaurora.com 315-364-8888

April 6th– First Friday Event – Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, 205 Genesee St., Auburn. Live music by Lindsey Tidd, Program Coordinator at the Schweinfurth as well as an accomplished musician. Tidd describes her style as a mix between Ani DiFranco and Led Zeppelin – a folk, rock, and blues blend that features acoustic electric guitar. Her versatile repertoire includes bands such as Fleetwood Mac, Pearl Jam, Miranda Lambert, and the White Stripes. Tidd also writes her own music and records. She has performed at the Ayersfest Music Festival, SU’s Women in Music Program, and other regional venues. 5-8pm. www.myartcenter.org 315-255-1553

April 6th– First Friday Event – Seward House Museum, 33 South St., Auburn.Seward House Museum will host a First Friday opening reception on Friday April 6 from 5pm-8pm. The museum will feature the photography exhibit, Elegant Ruin Imagery by Holly Mosher. Free tours, refreshments and children’s activities will be provided. 5-8pm. www.sewardhouse.org 315-252-1283

The Cayuga County Office of Tourism is open from 9:00am – 5:00pm Monday through Friday.

January 29th – March 18th- Both Ends of the Rainbow – Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, 205 Genesee St., Auburn. This annual exhibition will feature over 1,000 works of art by local students and senior citizens from Cayuga County. www.myartcenter.org 315-255-1553

February 8th – May 5th – “Stepping Out: Dancing in Cayuga County”. Cayuga Museum of History & Art, 203 Genesee St., Auburn. The exhibit explores social, folk and the fine art of dance as well as showcases our local dance schools and studios. www.cayuganet.org/cayugamuseum 315-253-8051

March 16th & 17th – “My Piece of the Pie” – Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St., Auburn. Like Mr. Klapisch’s earlier films “L’Auberge Espagnole” and “Russian Dolls,” “My Piece of the Pie” paints an alluring picture of a pan-European cosmopolitan culture whose characters hopscotch from one country to another with hardly a second thought in a lighthearted floating party. Now, of course, there are alarming signs that the party is about to end. 3/16, 1 & 8pm, 3/17, 8pm. Tickets $5 online or $6 at the door. www.auburnpublictheater.org 315-253-6669

March 17th- Comedian Pat Dixon -Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St., Auburn. Originally from Tennessee, Pat Dixon is a New York City based comedian, writer and yellow journalist. Dixon has been seen in his own half-hour Comedy Central Special, on The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The World Stands Up, Premium Blend and many others. He can also be seen as a regular correspondent on VH1, and has been seen on E! Television, Fox News and Headline News. 8pm, tickets $12. www.auburnpublictheater.org 315-253-6669

March 20th- Latin Cuisine – Aurora Inn, 391 Main St., Aurora.Our Latin Cuisine class is the perfect way to spice up a winter evening. You’ll learn how to make six exotic dishes through demonstrations and hands-on practice. Dishes will span a variety of courses, and will include protein preparation and cooking, traditional Latin starches, and a classic Latin dessert. Enjoy lively Latin music in the kitchen, then join your fellow participants in a glass of wine as you eat the feast you’ve made together. Call early for reservations. 6:00-8:30pm, $115/person. Call for reservations. www.innsofaurora.com 315-364-8888

March 23rd & 24th- “Melancholia” – Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St., Auburn. In “Melancholia,” an excursion from the sad to the sublime by way of the preposterous, the always controversial Danish director Lars von Trier offers his own, highly personal version of apocalypse: a celestial collision rendered in surprisingly lovely digital effects and accompanied by mighty blasts of Wagner. The film takes its title from a rogue planet that appears suddenly in the night sky and seems to be heading straight for Earth. 3/23, 1 & 8pm, 3/24, 8pm. Tickets $5/online $6/at the door. www.auburnpublictheater.org 315-253-6669

March 23rd & 24th- Harriet, The Musical! Journey to Freedom – Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St., Auburn. Presented by Auburn Public Theater in association with Partnership For Results. Featuring the Casey & Genesee Elementary & Auburn Junior High School Partnership For Results 21st Century Extended School Day Performing Arts Students. Absorb the courage, perseverance, determination, kindness and compassion of Auburn’s own Harriet Tubman, while watching the students sing, dance, and bring to life the extraordinary true story of one of America’s greatest heroes. 3/23, 7:00 pm, 3/24, 3:00 pm & 7:00 pm. Tickets $5 – children under 5 free. . www.auburnpublictheater.org 315-253-6669

March 23rd- Free Fun Family Night at the Fingerlakes Mall – Fingerlakes Mall, 1579 Clark St.,Auburn.Free Face Painting, Free LIVE Dance Party, Free BOUNCING in the Food Court, Family Meal Deals and MORE! Each child will have a chance to visit the Easter Bunny for FREE PHOTOS and ENTER TO WIN A CHANCE at the GIANT EASTER BASKET! 6-8pm, free. www.fingerlakesmall.com 315-255-1188

March 24th– “Say Cheese & More” – Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, Cayuga Lake. Savor the spectacular tastes of artisan cheese and fine wines along the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail. Receive a wine glass and wine tote bag at your first starting point winery and travel along the trail to experience creamy sensations paired with our fine wines. We’re hosting again a special “Say Cheese” contest so make sure to take all your favorite photos over the weekend and enter them via facebook or email. The winner will take home a Specialty Gift Basket from our local Cheeseries andWineries. Start at King Ferry Winery, then stop by Long Point Winery and all the other 14 wineries on the trial. www.cayugawinetrail.com/events 800-869-4281

The Cayuga County Office of Tourism is open from 9:00am – 5:00pm Monday through Friday.

January 13th & 14th – “Sarah’s Key” – Auburn Public Theater, 8 Exchange St. Auburn. Starring Kristin Scott Thomas as an American journalist living in Paris, Sarah’s Key also goes back and forth between events in 2002 and what happened 60 years earlier during the city’s infamous Vélodrome d’Hiver roundup of July 16, 1942. On that date, French officials and police, not Germans, rounded up 13,000 of the city’s Jews and herded them together for days in horrible conditions in one of the city’s indoor bicycle-racing tracks before dispatching them first to a transit camp and finally to Auschwitz. Tickets $5, 1/13 – 1:00 & 8:00pm, 1/14 – 8:00pm. . www.auburnpublictheater.org 315-253-6669

January 14 – Winter Woodpeckers – Sterling Nature Center, 15730 Jensvold Rd., Sterling. There are many birds that spend the winter in our area including four or five woodpecker species. Come explore the life of a woodpecker, its adaptations and natural history in an indoor presentation. We will then head out onto the trails to discover which woodpeckers are active and look for signs that others have been in the area. Free and open to the public. 1pm. Free. www.cayuganet.org/sterlingpark 315-947-6143

January 20th & 21st – “The Help” – Auburn Public Theater, 8 Exchange St., Auburn. “The Help” is an excellent adaptation of the bestselling novel about an unlikely rebellion in a Southern town in the 1960s among black maids serving white families and one white woman who wants them to tell their life stories. “The Help” is a delicious peppery stew of home-cooked, 1960s Southern-style racism that serves up a soulful dish of what ails us and what heals us. Laughter, which is ladled on thick as gravy, proves to be the secret ingredient — turning what should be a feel-bad movie about those troubled times into a heart-warming surprise. Tickets $5, 1/20 – 1:00 & 8:00pm, 1/21 8:00pm. www.auburnpublictheater.org 315-253-6669

January 21st – Murder Mystery Dinner – Highland Park Golf Club, 3068 Franklin St. Rd., Auburn. THE ACME MYSTERY COMPANY AND HIGHLAND PARK GOLF CLUB PRESENT: Deadly Inheritance. The Matriarch of a wealthy family is gravely ill and wishing to settle her estate. Join in as you and the other intensely greedy relatives gather to memorialize ’Little Dickie’ and battle for position to receive the lion’s share of the family’s $13 billion fortune. Be careful at this gathering, however, the next memorial could be for you. $35/person includes: the show, dinner salad, choice of prime rib or chicken francaise and dessert. Seating is limited, please call soon for reservations. Attendees must arrive by 6pm. www.highlandparkclub.com 315-252-4993

January 21st – X-Ray Vision: A Black and White Affair – Auburn Holiday Inn, 75 North St., Auburn. Annual gala event in support of the New Life Begins Initiative, transforming Auburn Memorial Hospital into a modern, state-of-the-art-facility. 6-9pm. 315-255-7444

“FIRST FRIDAY” at The Center, 1 Hoffman Street, Auburn. All are welcome to come by between 5:00 and 8:00 pm on December 2 for great specials: 20% off gift shop items (except consignments); free samplings of chair massage, Reiki and reflexology; live music with Scott Anderson and Loren Miller. Light refreshments will be served. Also, all are welcome to participate in the drumming circle with Ron Van Nostrand which begins at 8:00 pm.

REIKI CERTIFICATION LEVEL I at The Center (1 Hoffman St., Auburn), Saturday, December 10, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm with Reiki Master Jennifer Adamski. Cost: $125 includes all materials. This class is a combination of lecture, discussion and practice. Pre-registration is required. Online registration available at www.TheCenter4Wellness.com, or call 315.704.0319.

GROUP HYPNOSIS FOR WEIGHT LOSS/EXERCISE MOTIVATION at The Center (1 Hoffman St., Auburn), Monday, December 12, 6:00 – 7:30 pm with facilitator Connie Heagerty, CHT. Cost: $45. This workshop will include a group weight loss/exercise motivation hypnosis session, lessons on how to use self-hypnosis and a CD for home use. Pre-registration is required. Online registration available at www.TheCenter4Wellness.com, or call 315.704.0319.

ACUPUNCTURE MEETS HYPNOSIS FOR WEIGHT LOSS at The Center (1 Hoffman Street, Auburn), Monday, December 12. Half hour acupuncture appointments will be booked from 4:00 to 5:30 pm with Jennifer Adamski, L.Ac. Hypnosis will be with Connie Heagerty, CHT from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. This program is designed to be a safe, effective approach for individuals facing weight loss challenges. Cost $90. For more information call (315) 704-0319 or send email inquiries to TheCenterMail@aol.com.